A promising freshman is leaving Dave Van Horn’s roster, as infielder/outfielder Landon Schaefer has entered the transfer portal, a source confirmed with HawgBeat’s Daniel Fair on Friday.
Schaefer, from Fayetteville, came to the Razorbacks with a solid recruiting profile behind him.
Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 70 overall prospect and the No. 31 shortstop nationally in the class of 2025, while also tabbing him the top overall player and top shortstop in the state of Arkansas.
Prep Baseball Report was equally high on him, slotting Schaefer at No. 78 overall and No. 26 among shortstops in the country while also naming him Arkansas’ top prospect.
He wasn’t just a highly rated high school player — he was also a legitimate pro prospect.
MLB Pipeline had him at No. 125 among all draft-eligible players, and Baseball America listed him at No. 138 overall.
The Philadelphia Phillies were sold enough to select him in the 20th round — No. 611 overall — in the 2025 MLB Draft, but Schaefer chose college over pro ball and headed home to play for the Hogs.
His time in Fayetteville didn’t produce many at-bats. Schaefer got into eight games for the Razorbacks, earning one start in right field against Northern Colorado on March 17.
Over five plate appearances, he didn’t record a hit but drew two walks and struck out twice. He did contribute on the bases, though, scoring three runs and stealing a pair of bags.
Schaefer’s family connection to college athletics runs deep.
His father, Todd, served eight seasons on the Arkansas staff from 2017 through 2024 before moving on to become an assistant coach with the Missouri women’s basketball program.
He’s also a decorated amateur résumé holder beyond the scouting rankings. Schaefer participated in the 2024 Area Code Games and earned Perfect Game Preseason All-American recognition at the Southeast All-Region level in multiple years.
He picked up first-team honors in 2025 and a pair of second-team nods in 2022 and 2023.
With his departure, Schaefer becomes the fifth player to enter the transfer portal from Arkansas this offseason cycle, adding to what’s been an active period of roster turnover for Van Horn’s program.
